Of Fire and Water
by Inkling39
Summary: "You saved my life, only to kill me slowly." The Lands of Fire and Water have been at war for over a century. In the midst of it all, a war rages within the young ward of the Rokudaime, as he is torn between his loyalty to his lord and land, and his bond with the Hokage's young bride. SasuSaku. Feudal Era AU. A Tristan and Isolde retelling.
1. Chapter 1

_"A free man has two things thoroughly his own, his body and his land." _

Chapter One: The Orphan and Widower

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sama."

The silver-haired ninja lifted his charcoal gaze to the young healer Ima, who stared down at him with pity, her gray eyes red from exhaustion.

Kakashi blinked slowly, feeling strangely numb at the news he had feared and expected. "Both of them?"

The woman nodded. "She tried to fight, but there was nothing that could be done."

The masked shinobi nodded slowly, staring ahead into nothing. Rin was gone and their child had died with her. He had nothing anymore, he _was_ nothing... no wife, no heir, no family... There was only a void before him, and all he could do was stare into it.

"The village needs you, Hokage-sama." Ima told him. "Smoke from the attack is still in the air, so many are dead, they need to see you are alive."

Kakashi said nothing, for he was no longer alive, not anymore. Perhaps, this village was doomed to burn, as Rin and his unborn child were doomed to die.

"Hokage-sama." Ima repeated, but her voice fell on deaf ears as the leader of the Konohagakure succumbed to his grief, unable to hear or see anything... except for a faint whimpering, the sound of a child crying.

Kakashi blinked, confused at the noise that had broken through his ringing silence, turning his head to see the raven-haired Uchiha boy crying in the corner of the room, his head buried in his hands.

"What of the boy?" Kakashi asked, he had almost forgotten him admits his worry and growing despair for his wife.

"He is unscathed." the healer replied. "Though, he won't let me near him and he has not stopped crying."

Kakashi stared long and hard at the child, the boy he had saved from the burning Hokage Tower, losing his right hand in the process. "His father's and brother's heads were severed before his eyes, his mother was crushed by a fallen, burning pillar... he is the last of his family." he told the healer.

"The poor child." Ima spoke softly. "What shall become of him now?"

Kakashi did not reply, but continued to watch the weeping boy grieve, seeing his own turmoil and devastation reflected in the boys tears. Ima was called away to help save the many other wounded, leaving the Hokage alone with the child.

The shinobi slowly rose then, compelled by some unknown force... and taking the quilt that had been draped over his shoulders, came to kneel beside the boy, wrapping his trembling form up against the cold of the room.

The boy jumped at the action, his onyx-colored eyes rising up to the Hokage as his tears continued to fall.

"It's alright." Kakashi told the boy. "You're safe now... You're Fugaku's son, aren't you?"

The boy bowed his head, rubbing the tears from his eyes almost angrily, giving a slow nod.

"What's your name?"

"S-Sasuke." the boy replied admist his tears.

Kakashi sighed heavily. Fugaku had been a good friend and ally, so had the boy's older brother Itachi, their's was a great loss to the village.

What was left of their village.

"I see," Kakashi told the boy. "You won't be able to stay here, Sasuke... tomorrow when I leave to regroup with the remaining leaders of this village, you will come with me."

The Uchiha boy looked up again, confusion interlacing with the sorrow in his eyes. He hardly knew the Hokage, but what else could he do? Where else would he go?

Wiping his nose with his sleeve, the boy nodded again in agreement.

...

Smoke rose high from Konohagakure, as the village burned in the aftermath of the Kirigakure attack. Zentaro Kurin, the most powerful shinobi of the Hidden Mist Village, stood on solemn watch as his men re-gathered, feeling great sense of morbid pleasure at the sight of destruction and the screams of the people.

_Let us see the phoenix fly from these ashes. _he thought to himself triumphantly.

...

"Let her in, Shizune, it's alright." Tsunade rasped tiredly, motioning for her handmaid to move from the door frame and let her small daughter pass. The woman knew in her heart that she would not last the night, and she would not deny her child the chance to say goodbye. The little girl of barely eight years darted around Shizune and climbed to the top of the bed.

"Mother." she whispered quietly, snuggling into Tsunade's side, wrapping her arms around her waist and refusing to let go.

"It's alright, Sakura." Tsunade told the child, running a hand through her strawberry-blonde locks. "It's alright."

Mother and daughter lay together in silence, as Tsunade began to hum a tuneless melody comfortingly. It was not long before Sakura began to sob quietly, burying her head into her mother's shoulder.

"I don't want you to die, Mother." she cried. "I don't want to be alone."

Tsunade kissed the top of the child's head. "You'll never be alone, Sakura, I'll always be with you... In your memory and everything I've ever taught you."

Sakura looked up into her mother's amber eyes, tears trailing down her pale white cheeks.

"You'll need to be strong, but more than that, this land has plenty of warriors and killers... I want you to be different, I want you to be a healer, to save lives and not take them, do you think you can do that?"

Sakura nodded her head vigorously.

"Shizune will look after you from now on, I want you to listen to her and learn from her what I couldn't teach you, do you understand?"

Again she nodded, eager to please her mother. "I will, I promise."

"Good girl, my sweet, good girl." Tsunade whispered, pulling the child closer into her arms. "You love so purely, so deeply... do not let this world starve you of love."

"But, I love you, Mother." Sakura cried. "Please, don't leave me."

"Never." her mother smiled gently. "Rest, Sakura, I'll be here with you till you fall asleep."

The child curled into her mother, resting her head against her shoulder once more, to try and muffle her sobs. Tsunade turned back to Shizune then, her poor handmaiden, who was now silently crying beside the door.

"The Mizukage?" she asked softly.

"I'm sorry, my lady." Shizune spoke. "Your husband has still not arrived."

"It's alright." Tsunade replied, neither hurt nor surprised by the news. Saku had always put Kirigakure first, and always would, even now on her deathbed. "I've written him and the rest of my family letters, will you please make sure they get them, Shizune."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, I shall." Shizune promised, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

The Mizukage's wife looked back down at her daughter, the one she loved most, and blinked back tears at the thought of abandoning her to this harsh and cruel world.

_My wish for you Sakura, is that you find love, true love. _she thought gently. _I want you to be loved by someone completely, wholly and irrevocably. Someone who will protect you and care for you all the days of your life. _

...

"Kakashi!" the voice of a woman called a midst the destruction of the Hidden Leaf Village.

The Hokage stopped, knowing very well who that voice belonged to. Little Sasuke, who was at his heels, stopped as well, and looked up to see a beautiful red-haired woman push past the crowd to reach them.

"Kushina-san." Kakashi greeted the woman, taking her hands in his own. "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright." she replied. "I had feared the worse for you after the tower collapsed."

"Many lives were lost." Kakashi told her grimly, unable to keep his voice from faltering. "Rin..."

"No!" Kushina cried after he hesitated, raising a hand to her mouth in shock and shaking her head in disbelief. "It cannot be!"

Kakashi did not reply, but just nodded solemnly to confirm the terrible truth. He knew his wife had been quite close to Kushina most of her life, she had helped her raise Kushina's son after the death of her husband, Minato Namikaze, the Hokage before him.

"And the child?" Kushina asked, tears watering the rims of her eyes now.

Kakashi shook his head slowly, looking down to the ash laden earth below him.

"I...I'm so sorry, Kakashi." the woman breathed, reaching for his shoulder to offer him some form of comfort, but the Hokage's gaze remained on lowered, his grief far too near.

Kushina looked up, blinking tears away. There would be a time to grieve, but not now, not when the village lay in waste beneath her. _Take care of her, Minato. _She prayed quietly to the heavens.

"...Who is this?" Kushina asked as she lowered her gaze, seeing Sasuke hiding behind Kakashi's cloak, peeking out to eye her warily.

"This is Sasuke." Kakashi replied, stepping aside for Kushina to fully see the child. "Son of Fugaku Uchiha, his family was killed in the tower... I'm all he has left now."

Kushina smiled at the boy, kneeling down to his level, trying to be strong. "Uchiha? I knew your mother Mikoto when we children, she and I were good friends."

Sasuke just stared curiously at the woman, and said nothing.

"I have a son about your age." Kushina told him, rising to stand. "Naruto!"

At her call, a blonde spikey haired little boy appeared by the red-haired woman's side, covered head-to-toe in dirt. "Ma?"

Kakashi's eyes softened at Kushina's son, glad to see he was unharmed after all the chaos.

"This is Sasuke," Kushina told Naruto. "He'll be your new friend now, alright?"

"Hi!" Naruto greeted with a wide, toothy smile, showing that he had atleast five missing teeth.

Sasuke just stared back, unsure what to make of the blonde boy, and stayed beside Kakashi.

"He's really quiet, Ma!" Naruto complained, his grin fading.

"Hush!" Kushina scolded. "You be kind."

The red-haired woman moved her violet-blue eyes back up to the Hokage. "What shall we do now, Kakashi?"

Kakashi sighed, taking in the ash and destruction around him, before his gaze fell to the young raven-haired boy beside him, who had taken hold of his cloak in order not to lose him.

"We rebuild." he replied, placing a hand on the boy's head.

...

Sakura walked hand in hand with Shizune, her gaze downcast, not a tear left in her eye to be shed. Her mother's funeral had lasted half the day, and the small child felt utterly drained, as if there was nothing left in her soul to give.

"Shizune!" a deep, husky voice called over the crowds, making both the handmaid and small princess turn their heads in question.

"Mizukage-sama." Shizune bowed lowly, seeing her lord and master standing before her and Sakura followed her caretaker's example hurriedly.

"Bring my child to me." Saku commanded.

Shizune nodded, tugging Sakura's hand. "Come, Sakura-chan."

Sakura took wary steps toward her father, looking up at him through her bloodshot eyes. Her father, the Mizukage was a distant man that she did not know, a man she was a afraid of.

"Father." the child bowed her head formally when she stood before Saku.

The tall man took the girl's chin in his rough hands and tilted her head up to look at him. He studied her silently, and Sakura just stared into the fierce jade-green eyes she had inherited from him.

She wondered what her father was looking for as he studied her face. Did she remind him of her mother? Was he seeing if she had been crying? Sakura did not allow her gaze to falter as she stared back at her father, she would try to be whatever it was he was looking for.

"A frail child." he finally spoke, but not to Sakura, to Shizune. "Though, pretty in a way, like her mother."

"Yes, my lord." Shizune agreed.

Saku released the girl's chin then, backing away from her. "Make sure she eats well."

"I will, my lord." Shizune replied.

With that the Mizukage left, leaving his daughter to stare after him in hurt and confusion. Sakura found that she indeed had a few more tears to shed.

...

"How is he doing?" Kakashi asked Jiraiya, the Toad Sage who supervised the training of all the young shinobi. Amidst the organized rabbal of young boys and girls, the Hokage was able to spot his young ward, the raven haired boy who faltered with his kunai as he stood toe-to-toe with Naruto.

"Come on, fight!" Naruto told him, growing impatiently. "Sensei! Sasuke won't fight me, he's too scared."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and straightened to see the two boys better. Sasuke indeed was hesitant, but it wasn't because of fear. An ever growing scowl was gracing the young boy's handsome features. He was angry. Angry and unsure what to do about it.

"Come on, you coward, fight me!" Naruto exclaimed, growing irritated. "What? Are you going to cry? My father's dead too and you don't see me crying."

"Naruto!" Kushina cried, lifted her head from where she was helping load rations into storage, ashamed that her son was being so crass.

"Wait, Kushina." Kakashi told the woman, placing a hand to stop her advancing toward the training ground.

Sasuke's dark gaze shot up at the blonde boy then, a sort of cool rage was in his eyes that Kakashi had never seen before in a child, and then lunged. Naruto, surprised, blocked Sasuke's blow and their kunais clashed. Naruto managed to match the Uchiha's movements, however, Sasuke was not only fierce, but _fast_. In a graceful fluid movement, he dropped to the earth below, moved his leg under Naruto's and sent him plummeting to the ground. In an instant he was standing above the blonde boy, throwing his kunai down a small fraction above Naruto's skull.

Kakashi, Kushina, Jiraya and the other young ninjas stood in quiet amazement at what had taken place. Sasuke let out a heavy exhale, turning his angry gaze upon the adults before darting away from the training grounds, tossing his armor and weapons aside as he ran.

"Hey, wait!" Naruto called after him, but the Uchiha boy was already long gone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it..."

"Poor boy." Kushina spoke quietly, before waltzing over to her son and smacking him squarely across the head as he rose.

"OW!" Naruto cried. "MA!"

"Don't be so cruel, you know better than that!"

"That boy's got some fire inside of him." Jiraiya commented to Kakashi as they stared after Sasuke. "It's the way of his clan, harness that, and you'll have quite the warrior one day."

Kakashi did not reply as he went after the boy, tracking his chakra signature. It did not take him long to find the child, curled into a tight ball on the dock near what was left of the Uchiha Compound. The silver-haired shinobi wordlessly took a seat beside the boy, staring off into the violet water of the untouched lake before them.

Sasuke, after a few minutes, curiously glanced over at the man who had taken him in, watching as the Copy-nin removed his sandals and let his bare feet wade in the water beneath the dock.

"Did your father take you out here often?" Kakashi asked him.

Sasuke did not reply at first, but after several moments of silence, gave a short nod.

"I'm sure he taught you your clan's signature move, here, the fireball jutsu, right?"

The boy's face fell at the memory, making him bury his head into his folded arms. He was tired of crying, of looking weak.

"You know, my wife was carrying our child before she died." Kakashi told him. "She was nearly seven-months along, and I knew in my heart we were going to have a son."

Kakashi looked skyward then, wondering if Rin and their child could perhaps see and hear him where ever they were. When the Hokage did not continue, Sasuke peaked out one of his dark eyes curiously, waiting.

The Copy-nin smiled beneath his mask sadly. "We were going to call him Sakumo, after my father... I was going to teach him everything I knew, take him so many places, and now I don't even have a memory of him."

It wasn't fair! Sasuke thought to himself. It wasn't fair what had happened to them. That his new guardian had lost his wife and son, and that _he_ had lost his family.

"I hate Kirigakure, I want to burn their village like they did ours." Sasuke whispered lowly, angrily.

Kakashi only sighed. "There is no point in hating Kirigakure, that is just a place, and many of the people living there are good people, people like your father, mother and brother."

Sasuke frowned deeply. "Then I hate the Mizukage."

"And will your hate bring your parents and Itachi back, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked him quietly. "Will hating the Mizukage bring back my family?"

The boy turned his head sharply back to the lake, his lower lip trembling at the realization of that answer, No. It wouldn't. Nothing would bring them back. They were dead. They were gone and he would never see them again. Sasuke sobbed bowing his head once more, because he _missed_ them. He missed them so much.

"Our families are gone now, Sasuke." Kakashi told him. "The only thing left for us to do is to keep moving foward, to carry on to where they couldn't. To make them proud, you and I must rebuild our home, to save it from this terrible war."

He glanced at the child then, another smile escaping his lips at the boy's large eyes peeking out at him. He reached out and ruffled the boy hair fondly. "I suppose now I will have to teach _you _my special technique, I can't have my signature move die with me, now can I?"

Sasuke questioned him silently, tilting his head to the side.

"Have you ever heard of the Chidori?"

* * *

So, this is my new story. Based on Tristan and Isolde, both the ballad by Joseph Bedier and the film. Though it will be following it's own story the closer we get to the end. I've set the story to more ancient Japanese times, then whenever the Naruto Universe is supposed to be set in. Ninja Dark Ages, I guess. Tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

"_They still had hope, for hope in the heart of men lives on lean pasture." _

Chapter Two: The Land and the Sea

_Eleven Years Later... _

"Sasuke, wait up!"

A young, raven-haired man paused in his step, turning to look down at his childhood companion, his adopted brother. "Hurry up, Naruto, the Council meeting has already begun."

"Do you know what this all about?" Naruto asked, winded as he made his way up the steps of the fully rebuilt Hokage Tower.

"Kakashi said it had to do with another invasion from Kirigakure, there were more attacks on the lower border." Sasuke replied. "Danzo is being a coward and will not agree to sending more men for aid."

"I hate that bastard." Naruto muttered to himself.

The young men entered the tower and made their way to the council chambers where the meeting was already in session.

"Ah," Jiraiya spoke up. "There you boys are, come in."

"I see your students have picked up your habit of tardiness, Kakashi-sama." Danzo spoke up, looking displeased as always.

"Indeed," Kakashi spoke up from where he sat in the middle of the round table. "Sasuke and Naruto's constant service to the Land of Fire and this village, always makes them relatviely late to gatherings where older men will set them out on more tasks they fail to accomplish for themselves."

Danzo cast the Hokage a warning glance, but said nothing. Sasuke made sure to give the miserable elder a cold stare as he took his seat beside Kakashi. The man was nothing but a power-hungry coward.

"What's this about more Kiri attacks?" Naruto asked his mentor, from his seat beside Jiraiya.

"We've had Kiri pirates attacking the shore, they've been hired by Zentaro Kurin." Kakashi replied, his hand in his chin thoughtfully.

Sasuke stilled at the sound of that name, the name of the man who led the attack that killed his family. Long had he wished to serve justice to his family by slaying the wicked warlord that plundered and pillaged their land, and preyed upon the weak. "A simple solution, send me with my men to slay him."

"I'm sure you are aware of the risk we'd put Konoha in if we were to send our finest shinobi out to mundane fishing villages to deal with the unstoppable force of Zentaro." Danzo reprimanded Sasuke like a child, making the Uchiha sneer at him. "This village cannot afford the loss of anymore of our militia to Zentaro's sword."

"So we do nothing?" Naruto asked him incredulously. "We let that monster kill, rape and enslave our people and destroy our resources?"

"No," Kakashi spoke evenly, catching the attention of all present. "I'll send aid to these villages, no matter what the Council deems appropriate, my people have suffered enough at the hands of Kiri."

"Ah, as insubordinate as ever, Kakashi-sama." Danzo spoke. "And you'll undoubtedly send your ever faithful pup, who has no regards towards the authority of the Council or Elders."

Sasuke clenched his knuckles beneath the table, looking at Danzo evenly. "I make it a habit to follow no one."

"Except for Kakashi." Danzo pointed out.

"I owe Kakashi my life when he save me from the old tower, you fled and left countless others to burn." Sasuke said darkly. "There is no reason to wonder where my loyalties lie."

"You mind your place, _boy_..."

"Enough." Kakashi spoke, silencing Danzo. "I will send out a dispatch of Jonin, to fight under Sasuke to secure our shores and borders, Naruto will remain here to defend the village if a counter attack it to follow, does that meet all of our needs?"

The Council agreed, all but Danzo and his supporters.

"Majority ruled." Kakashi decided. "Then it's done. Sasuke will leave with his squad in the morning."

...

Wind blew over the shore as a young Kiri woman let the docile waves clean her bare feet from the sand. She inhaled the smell of the salt water deeply. No longer a skinny, frail child, the Mizukage's daughter had grown into a full-blossomed woman of nineteen, her long, rose-quartz hair long and flowing in the ocean's breeze, her snowy skin unblemished, her pink lips full, and her jade eyes wide and sparkling with life and curiosity... though they also carried the pain of a mother's death and a father's cruelty and indifference.

"Sakura." she heard Shizune calling her and turned her head up toward her handmaiden. "So, here you are, do you think you can avoid the banquet out here?"

"I was hoping to." Sakura replied, tossing a stray pebble, casting across the water toward the Land of Fire.

"Your father will be displeased if you're not be there to see Zentaro off." Shizune warned her. "Come, we must get you prepared, you look like a civilian in those clothes."

"A moment more." Sakura told her, keeping her gaze on the foamy sea-green waves, watching them roll and crash in a repetitive, soothing motion. Shizune sighed and came to sit beside her mistress on the white sandy beach, under the cloudy sky.

"Alright, then." the handmaiden replied. "But only a moment."

Sakura inhaled the salty air again, savoring the little time she had been given. "He'll announce the engagement tonight, won't he?"

"I should assume, all the council members will be present, Zentaro is about to depart to continue his conquest to the Land of Fire, it will be the opportune time to inform the clan lords." Shizune replied.

The younger woman wrapped the plain sage-green kimono more tightly around herself as she felt a unpleasant shiver travel down her spin, not from the cool breeze, but the thought of the life she would be forced to share with the brutal war hero.

"The man is a monster." Sakura spoke quietly, feeling a stray tear slide down her cheek, and moved to quickly wipe it away. Tears were weakness, and she had no room for such frailty living under the rule of her father, and soon to be living under the rule of Zentaro.

"He'll treat you well, though, he admires you greatly for your intelligence and skills." Shizune spoke comfortingly. "That's why he chose you."

_Yes, but I did not choose him. _Sakura thought quietly, her fist curling tightly against the fabric of her kimono. The moment that wicked man set sail to kill more innocents, she would flee and never return to the Hidden Mist Village. Perhaps she would cross the sea and see the Land of Fire for herself, whatever would happen she would not be bound to such a man.

"Come, we've lingered long enough." Shizune told her, rising and pulling the rosette up to her feet. "Your father will have my head if you're not looking your best tonight."

Sakura sighed in submission, gathering the basket she had filled to the brim with white seashells. She would let them all dress her up like some pretty porcelain doll and put her on display for all the greedy eyes of the clan lords and Zentaro tonight, for tomorrow she would be gone.

...

"She's late." Saku mused to himself, his sea-green eyes traveling around the banquet hall, looking for his daughter. "Forgive her carelessness, Zentaro."

"I take no offence, Mizukage-sama." the powerful warlord replied carelessly. "Your daughter is a fiery one, Saku-sama, I'm sure she just lost track of the time."

"Indeed." Saku agreed lowly. Sakura had too much of her mother in her, and the Mizukage knew better than anyone what kind of inconvenience that could be. It was only his luck that his commanding general was beguiled by spirited women, and found Sakura's defiance amusing rather than offensive.

"Ah, there she is, my lord." Zentaro spoke, straightening his posture, making the Mizukage glance toward the hall entry. Indeed, there was his daughter, waltzing gracefully into the hall with her handmaid by her side. Saku's lips formed a thin line in irritation when his child's eyes met his, she was not apologetic at all, but rather accusing.

The Mizukage snorted, atleast Shizune had done her job of painting the girl up pretty, all the eyes in the room were on the little nymph. Zentaro, himself, looked about ready to have his way with the girl right then and there, his gray eyes darkening as they traveled over her slender figure.

Sakura put on a dazzling smile as she made her way through the crowd, so eerily similar to Tsunade's fake and flattering smile, that Saku almost thought he was seeing his late wife's ghost. Zentaro grinned back foolishly as she came to stand before them, foolishly thinking that her smile was genuine and for him. Saku had to keep himself from scoffing.

"Father." Sakura greeted bowing lowly. "Zentaro-sama."

"Daughter." Saku replied.

"Sakura-sama." Zentaro spoke up, inclining his hand out for the young woman to take. Sakura obliged, slipping her white, dainty hand into his large, calloused, sun-browned palm, and repressed a grimace when the warlord's long fingers tightened around her hand possessively. "Your beauty rivals that of the sea, itself."

"Thank you, my lord." Sakura bowed her head, forcing her smile to widen even farther. "Forgive me for being late, I lost track of the hour."

"The daughter of the Mizukage, and the greatest healer of our land has no need for any excuses, Sakura-sama." Zentaro replied. "I am just glad I got to look upon your face before I set out for my voyage."

"My, Sakura is lucky to have such an understanding betrothed." Saku commented, earning a sideways glance from his daughter, who had to bite her tongue to prevent her from speaking her mind. "I'm sure she will honer her lord with a dance, for his forgiveness."

Sakura again forced her pretty smile, turning her attention from her father back to Zentaro. "Of course, if that is what my lord wishes."

"Ah, I could wish for nothing more, my lady." Zentaro replied, gripping his powerful hand around her own more firmly. The way his gray eyes traveled over her hungrily, made Sakura believe differently.

"That will be all for now, Shizune." Sakura dismissed her handmaiden, as she was led away to the small array of merry dancers. Aligning her hand with her betrothed, Sakura went through the motions of the traditional dance not feeling the thrill or merriment that dancing usually brought her. She could feel Zentaro's eyes devouring her profile, as she stared determinedly at the stone walls of the banquet hall.

The large warrior cast a shadow over her petite form, as he towered over her by atleast two heads. Zentaro's size and strength was legendary throughout the Shinobi World, with broad shoulders and arms wider than Sakura's waist. There were tales that he could crush a man's skull between his two powerful palms. Though, he was not just a brute, he was also intelligent. He was a powerful ninja, skilled strategist and natural leader; versed in languages, medicine, sea-fare, warfare, torture and the art of war... the art of killing. He was an unstoppable force.

"You smell of the sea." he commented, making Sakura tense.

"I find solace by the seaside." she managed to reply, refusing to look him in the eye.

"Ah, yes, the sea brings a sense of freedom, does it not?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I suppose it does."

"It is not unnatural for a young woman of your age to wish to feel _liberated_." he commented lowly, letting his large hand slide from her waist to her hip when she turned into him. The healer had to control herself from sending a fist into the man's thick skull at his suggestive words and disgusting touch, and was quick to spin away from him. "You and I are not so as different as you might think, Sakura."

"How so?" Sakura spared him a glance, before turning from him, back to the other dancers. That notion nearly making her scoff.

"I too am passionate about the natural medicines of the earth, I even trained under your mother once upon a time." he told her, inclining his head toward her.

"Ah." Sakura mused, though she had already been aware. Zentaro was known for using a wide variety of poisons in battle and for torture methods. "Though, I believe we use our shared passion for much different purposes, my lord... I believe in saving lives rather than taking them."

He chuckled at her then, as if she were a child, making Sakura grit her teeth behind her lips. "Indeed, though, sometimes one must take a life in order to save others and to protect one's country... what is to be done then, my lady?"

"Strive for peace." she replied quietly, turning her head away as he inclined his lips down to her ear. Zentaro was not as noble as he would make her believe, he was not a warrior who killed only when necessary to protect his people... he was a monster who had come to enjoy and savor the deaths of others, finding a thrill in killing both enemy and innocent alike.

He chuckled again, his breath hot against her ear. "An innocent thought, from an innocent girl... How dreadful for you to be bound to someone like me. Oh, but don't resent me forever, Sakura, I can give you the freedom you desire."

She said nothing, trying to hide her disgust. The only freedom she longed for that he could grant was for him to release her from his repulsive hands. The harmonic song being played upon koto was coming to an end and she silently thanked the heavens for it. Zentaro released her, bowing lowly, but took her hand in his to kiss it formally in thanks for the dance. "Sweet, innocent, _Sakura-hime_... I look forward to our wedding night when I will take you to my bed." he told her against the skin of her hand, making the girl pale to a sickly shade of white and recoil her hand quickly.

Regaining her composure, she forced herself to curtsy, not hiding the hate in her eyes from him. "Thank you for the dance, my lord."

...

At dawn, the ships that the Land of Fire feared prepared to set sail. Sakura stood beside her father on the docks, to see the conquering shinobi off. The sea air whipped wildly about them, sending the young healer's long pink locks flying about in all directions.

The sea itself was growing angry, it's choppy waves green and rolling as if in protest against the blood that was about to be spilled. Sakura herself prayed silently that a storm would roll in to prevent her betrothed and his men from reaching the Land of Fire, so as to spare the innocent people they would kill and enslave.

"Mizukage-sama, this is farewell for now," Zentaro spoke up. "I will continue to conquer in your name, until then, I look forward to my return."

"Be safe and vigilant, Zentaro." Saku warned. "I've heard whispers of young warriors, trained by Kakashi Hatake himself, that have grown in power... beware, I would hate to lose both a commanding officer and son-in-law."

"Fear not, my lord." Zentaro reassured. "This time I'll bring you the Hokage's head myself."

...

"These wretched pirates!" Kiba complained, drawing his kunai from the corpse of his adversary. "They're relentless."

"We'll have to move on," Sasuke replied, cleaning his sword, taking in the sight of what was left of the plundered village they had just liberated. "Three ships headed in the direction of the North Villages, we should get there before them."

"You're injured, Sasuke." Shikamaru pointed out. "We should rest here tonight, before we continue."

"It's nothing," the Uchiha glanced at the puncture wound of his shoulder. "We have to press on."

Turning, he acknowledged his squad; exhausted, some wounded, covered in their enemy's blood as well as their own. The Uchiha sighed heavily. "Rest for now, we will wait a few hours to regroup with Sai's regiment, before we leave."

His squad dispersed then, to find somewhere to rest their exhausted bodies, leaving only he and Shikamaru to gaze at the broken state of the small fishing village. Corpses and ashes lay at their feet, the sound of wailing women and the howling wind of the sea filling the solemn silence around them.

"These are just pirates..." Shikamaru stated. "Kiri will be sending Zentaro and his elite shinobi in their wake."

"I know." Sasuke replied.

"What horrors await us then?" Shikamaru mused aloud.

"None." Sasuke told him, staring ahead into the sea, feeling the crackling power of his chakra within him. He clenched his fist and willed Zentaro across the sea. "This bastard's reign of tyranny is over."

...

...

"Where is my daughter, Shizune?" Saku asked upon entering Sakura's chambers, finding his child absent.

Shizune bowed lowly, trying desperately to keep her composure. "Forgive me, my lord, she has asked me to inform you that she has gone to a neighboring village to help heal the sick, a fever has broken out there, you see."

"Ah." the Mizukage mused, unimpressed by the blatant lie, but not bothered by it either. "She goes to seek refuge from her fate elsewhere, I see."

"No, Mizukage-sama..."

"It matters not." Saku interrupted her. "I'll let her play her little defiant game and run until Zentaro returns, there is not a place she can go that I won't find her."

"I..." Shizune began, hopelessly.

"Pray she doesn't come to any harm in her little endeavor, Shizune, then you really will have something to worry about." the cold man spoke, before exiting carelessly.

Shizune let out an exhale, staring down at the letter Sakura had left on her pillow before she had departed. "_Sakura_... you are foolish if you think you can escape this."

...

"You've come too late, Uchiha-sama!" the village chieftain told the shinobi upon their arrival, overwhelmed with grief. "They've taken everything, they have slaughtered our warriors, took our young ones as slaves... they went off on foot back to their ships to send them off."

Sasuke, pushing his fury and despair deep with himself in order to keep calm, taking in the bodies of innocent civilians swinging stiffly from the trees above them, kunais plunged deeply into their heart... once again another village was arrayed in blood and ash because they were not fast enough to stop the barbaric Kiri. "You say they headed back toward the coast?"

"Yes sir." the chieftain replied shakily.

"They were not pirates, were they?" Sasuke asked. "They were shinobi elites."

"Yes, it was Zentaro, my lord... I've only ever heard stories about him, but I knew him the moment I saw... He was a like a terrible giant, my lord."

Sasuke nodded stiffly, turning back to his men. "Care for what's left of your village, Chieftain, and heal your wounded... we will go after Zentaro and liberate your children."

"Thank you, Uchiha-sama." the chieftain cried gratefully. "We are indebted to you, and our great Hokage."

Sasuke said nothing, his fists still clenched tightly at the death and destruction he had witnessed. Without another word, he started swiftly ahead toward the coast, signaling Shikamaru and the others to follow after him.

"We are outnumbered, Sasuke." Shikamaru told him when he had caught up. "We could very well be walking toward our deaths."

"So be it." the Uchiha replied, his eyes flashing red.

* * *

R&amp;R They'll meet next chapter, worry not ;)


	3. Chapter 3

_At last Tristan had himself carried into a boat apart on the shore; and lying facing the sea he awaited death, for he thought: "I must die; but it is good to see the sun and my heart is still high. I would like to try the sea that brings all chances. … I would have the sea bear me far off alone, to what land no matter, so that it heal me of my wound."_

Chapter Three: The Warrior and Healer

"Didn't peg you as the jewelry sort, Sasuke." Kiba of the Inuzuka Clan commented.

Sasuke spared a glance at at the wolfish boy from his perch in the tree, where he and his men kept watch, before noting that his armguard had slipped, revealing the black pearl and leather bracelet that hung from his wrist.

"Or is it perhaps that our prudish captain actually has a lady back home?" the brunette asked, grinning teasingly.

Sasuke shook his head solemnly, pulling the armguard back over his sacred token. "It was one of the few things I found in the debris of the Uchiha Compound, after the Hidden Lead burned."

In truth, it was his mother's. She had received it as an anniversary present from his father and it was her favorite among her jewels. Sasuke kept it concealed, to avoid it being stolen for it's rare and valuable pearls, but wore it always, to keep a small piece of his family with him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I..." Kiba trailed off, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, unsure what to say.

"It doesn't matter, stay on your guard, Kiba, they'll be coming through any time now." Sasuke ordered, turning his black gaze back toward the forest floor, awaiting Sai's signal.

"Do you think it's true, what they say about this him?" Kiba asked, an edge of fear in his voice. "Zentaro, I mean... they say he's as large as two men and has killed every ninja he has ever encountered."

"It's true." Sasuke replied grimly. "I've seen him myself."

"You have?"

Sasuke nodded. "I saw him as a boy, when he attacked the Hokage Tower, he killed every man who crossed him with a single swing of his blade."

Kiba stared at his captain in disbelief. "And how are we supposed to stop someone like that?"

"_We're_ not." Sasuke explained coolly. "_I_ am."

As if on cue, Sai's two painted doves, the chosen signal, flew through the forest, alerting Sasuke and the rest of his men of the approaching Kiri shinobi. Sasuke raised his hand then, signaling his squad to wait for his command.

Beneath them, on the forest floor, Zentaro emerged on a great white steed, an army of Kiri shinobi following in his wake, pulling along two wagons full of the captured village children, who would be doomed to live out their days as slaves.

Sasuke's right hand, hovering over his katana, twitched with anticipation at the sight of the giant warrior... the very monster of his nightmares.

_At last. _He thought with a shaky breath. _At last, Mother, Father, Itachi... I have the chance to avenge you. _

When the small army was perfectly positioned beneath them, a small eternity later, Sasuke cut his arm through the air, alerting several of his archers to release their arrows. The arrows flew silently through the air, and for a moment the earth was silent, before they penetrated a handful of the enemy shinobi, who fell to the earth with deafening thud.

"Ambush!" Zentaro cried immediately, pulling out his sword, as his horse reared and bucked.

"Now!" Sasuke countered, leaping from the trees, his men following behind him.

In the next moment, Konoha and Kiri ninjas clashed brutally against one another, and blood began to water the earth. Sasuke moved determinedly through the chaos toward Zentaro, his dark gaze fixated on him as his sharingan activated, cutting down every enemy that stood in his way.

Zentaro, now grounded from his horse and killing off the Konoha warriors left and right with ease, took note of the young, raven-haired shinobi approaching him, pegging him immediately as the leader of the small resistant force the defied him. Smiling maliciously, the general turned to his lieutenant.

"Kill the slaves." he ordered darkly. "Do not allow them to be freed."

The Kiri shinobi then turned their kunai on their captives, making the children scream in terror.

"Kiba!" Sasuke called, continuing his persuit toward Zentaro. "Shikamaru, get them out of there!"

The two shinobi turned their full attention on liberating the prisoners, while Sasuke finally had his opening. Conjuring his Chidori, the Uchiha launched himself into the air, his blade ready and charged with white lightening, toward Zentaro, aiming for his heart.

The warlord sneered, bringing up his massive broad sword, blocking Sasuke's attack. Sasuke countered, flipping back and sending wires flying to ensnare the large man, but Zentaro was too quick and managed to slice the wires through with a swift swing of his blade.

Sasuke turned his body and landed on the ground before the Kiri general, sword ready.

"You must be Kakashi's whelp of a captain I've heard so much about." the giant man mused. "The last survivor of the so-called mighty Uchiha Clan."

Sasuke only gritted his teeth and charged a second time, his sword aimed higher, toward his opponent's head. Zentaro dodged the attack and lifted his sword, and sparks flew as the two blades met. They clashed relentlessly, Sasuke's youth, skill, speed and bitter resolve keeping himself alive against the larger, much more experienced shinobi.

Their duel waged on in the midst of the bloody battle, until both were bruised, bleeding and out of breath. Sasuke pressed on, with every swing of his katana, he remembered...

_Fire._

_Screams... People... Running... Bodies... Blood... _

_Burning like an inferno around him._

_Itachi... His brother... His hero... His idol... His guardian... Cut down... His head severed from his body... Rolling... Gone... Dead... Beside their father..._

_Smoke burning his eyes and lungs. _

_His father... Always stern... Always right... Killed trying to reach Itachi... Killed the same way as his oldest son... _

_Walls crumbling around him. _

_His mother... Always smiling... Always pretty... Running toward him... Screaming... Crushed as the tower fell... Dead in an instant... Gone forever..._

Cast upon the earth, Sasuke let out a guttural cry, lunging again. He saw his chance, the weakness in Zentaro's strong armor, with the sharpness of his Sharingan. His next attack could forfeit his life, Zentaro would easily be able to kill him in a counter blow, but that didn't matter. He would kill the man who took his family, even if meant his own death... He had to there was no other choice.

With a high jump, Sasuke aimed his katana toward the curve of his enemy's neck, protected only by leather and not by steel, and sent his blade roughly down Zentaro's throat. Surprise and horror reflected in the gray eyes of the Kiri General, and Sasuke could see his soul already leaving his body... but not without one more kill. With a choked snarl, spurting out blood from his mouth, Zentaro swung his powerful arm.

_Move. _Sasuke heard a voice ringong in his ears and he leaped back, pushing off the large man with the base of his heal. He escaped, but not unscathed, the tip of Zentaro's blade swept over his chest, grazing the skin beneath his armor. Sasuke winced in pain, but managed to land on his feet.

He watched Zentaro stare at him, with almost amazed shock, as the blood pooled from his throat. The giant then convulsed horrifically, before toppling to the ground, shaking the earth with a might thud.

He was dead.

Sasuke stared in disbelief for a few moments, letting out a heavy exhale, the sound of the subsiding battle echoing in his ears. However, he remained stoic, the world slowing around him, becoming a sort of haze.

"Sasuke, you did it." he heard Shikamaru say beside him, his hand taking hold of his shoulder. "It's over."

Sasuke turned to him, before glancing around. While his vision was becoming foggy, he could see the only men standing were his squad members and the imprisoned children being freed from the wagons.

"Come quick!" Sai called a few yards away. "It's Kiba!"

Sasuke followed quickly after Shikamaru, despite the slight stagger in his step and the sudden wave of dizziness that overtook him.

The Inuzuka boy, one of Konoha's finest warriors, laid sprawled on the forest floor, his breathing shallow, multiple kunai and shurikans embedded into his chest. His faithful nin dog, Akamaru, laid beside him, whining with despair.

"Kiba." Shikamaru murmured lowly, coming to kneel beside him. "Stay strong, we'll get you home."

Kiba managed to scoff in the midst of his gasps. "Liar." He noted Sasuke, standing above him. "Sorry, Captain."

Sasuke tried to reply, but his tongue felt numb. He tried to reach out and offer the young warrior some comfort, to thank him for his selfless service, but he found he was losing feeling in his arms.

"Take care of Akamaru, won't you guys?" The Uchiha heard Kiba say, as he began to sway. "Make sure he get's home safe, to Hana, so she can take care of him for me."

Sasuke wanted to assure him that he would, but then his vision blurred and his breathing stopped... and suddenly, everything went black and he was falling.

"Sasuke!" he heard Shikamaru call, before he succumbed to the abyss.

...

"So, it was poison from Zentaro's blade that killed him." Shikamaru mused, looking over the Kiri general's blade.

"His body must be burned, Shikamaru." Sai informed the new leader of their company. "Kiba's as well... enemy ninja cannot be allowed to dissect the secrets of their clans and our village from what's left of them."

Shikamaru let out a heavy exhale, as he watched the bodies of his two childhood friends be cleaned and prepared for their burial by the village monk.

"They are heroes who have freed our lands from Zentaro." the brunette replied. "They deserve to be buried with some dignity."

"We don't have the time for that, nor can we take the risk of transporting their bodies back to Konoha."

"I think you're forgetting who is in charge now, Sai!" Shikamaru countered.

"Why not send them out to sea, like the king's of the west?" the monk suggested quietly. "Let their bodies sore to the heavens across the broad sea. A honorable burial of fire and water that only royalty know."

"Are you familiar with this custom?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes," the priest replied. "I will make the preparations by morning, in thanks to you for the liberation of our children."

Exchanging a glance with Sai, Shikamaru nodded, deciding it was the best, most respectful choice to make, that also secured the village's safety. "Thank you."

...

"What should we do with the prisoners?" Sai asked Shikamaru, as they stood solemnly upon the pebble beach. Watching the bodies of their fallen comrades drift out of sight over the gray waves and under the darkening sky, in their small vessels.

Two archers, their arrowheads dipped in oil and burning with fire, released their arrows that landed gracefully into each of the boats, setting them ablaze.

Shikamaru turned to see the surviving enemy shinobi they had taken prisoner, on their knees, awaiting their fate. "Send two in a boat return to Kiri and relay a warning to the Mizukage... kill the rest."

When the small vessels, serving as caskets, were out of sight, the shinobi and villagers abandoned the beach. They did not see the rogue wave that washed against Sasuke's boat, extinguishing the flames, and turning the vessel East.

...

_Two Days Later_

"Sensei!" Naruto's voice called out from the watch tower, catching Kakashi's attention. "Sasuke's company returned!"

A sigh of relief escaped the Hokage, as he made his way toward the red village gates. "Kushina! They're back!" he called, alerting the red-haired woman, who was among a few of the village elders. She excused herself and followed after Kakashi.

At the gates, the small army of shinobi entered, led by Shikamaru. The Hokage's sole visible eye traveled over the faces of the squad in confusion, unable to find his ward.

"What's happened?" he asked Shikamaru.

"Victory." the Nara boy replied solemnly. "Zentaro is dead, his men defeated."

Kakashi felt a sinking feeling within him, his eyes traveling over the group again in fear, searching for the young man he had come to consider a son. "Where is Sasuke."

Shikamaru did not reply, only shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi only stared at him in disbelief, as Kushina began to cry.

"No!" Naruto cried as he came up beside his mother. "You're lying!"

Shikamaru only hung his head. "Kiba too."

Kakashi stood unmoving for a moment, a numbness coming over him as if to shield him from the agony and despair that began to claw at his heart. The image of Rin and Obito flashed before his eyes... even his father... He had lost everyone, was fate so unkind as to take Sasuke too.

The Hokage's trembling hand was the only sign of the turmoil taking hold of him. "I've killed him."

Kushina turned her gaze to him. "Don't say that, Kakashi."

"But, I did." the Rokudaime replied. "I sent him off to his death."

...

Sakura woke with a start, gasping for air, trembling to the tips of her toes. In relief, she found she was still safe, still hidden and not discovered yet by her father. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders, and made to restart her small fire to prepare her breakfast.

The white morning light pooled in from the mouth of the cave, the sound of the rolling waves and the seagulls' calls harmonizing outside. She would only be able to stay in her little hideout about two more days, otherwise Shizune would reach her. Her handmaid was the only other person who knew about her and her mother's secret little haven, and was the only person capable of finding her.

Tsunade had used this secret cave as a place to store her herbs and to prepare her medicines and tinctures, it was also the place where she had taught Sakura the ways of a healer. A wide variety of dried herbs hung from the cavern wall, with a small fireplace in the corner, and even a small fresh spring of water was within walking distance.

As a child, Sakura harbored the idea of living in this special place, leaving behind the Hidden Mist Village for good. However, she would have to travel much farther than a few miles if she wished to escape the clutches of her father and Zentaro... she'd have to cross the sea.

Once the fire was going, the Mizukage's daughter gathered up her fishing net and headed out toward the shore to collect a few fish for her breakfast. The air was crisp that morning, making her draw her shawl tighter around her shoulders. She made her way down the sandy beach, about ready to toss her net, when something caught her eye.

A boat that washed ashore, turned on it's side.

The rosette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, before she tentatively approached, feeling to make sure a kunai was still attached to her belt. Beside the boat, lay a mound, half buried in sand and covered in seaweed.

_A man. _She realized, her eyes widening in surprise. A young and wounded man.

She neared the body slowly... was he dead? Swallowing her fear, she drew near enough to place two fingers against his neck, just like her mother had once taught her. Faint as it was, there was a subtle pulse against her touch.

Sakura gasped in surprise and amazement. _He is alive! How can that be? _

Without a second thought, the healer took action. Focusing her chakra into the palms of her hands, she managed to lift the man, despite his dead-weight and being much larger than herself, over her shoulder and carry him into the safety of the cavern. She would have to return and hide the boat later.

Once inside the cave, she laid the half-dead stranger on the make-shift bed she had made for herself, pushing him close to the fire. Stripping him of his shirt and moving her hands to rub heat into his cold body, she found the wound that must have paralyzed him, a gash across his chest.

The kunochi could tell that the blade that had sliced him open had been poisoned, just by the bluish discoloration of the skin around the wound. With a quick sniff she was able to identify the poison... Venom of a puffer-fish... known to completely paralyze a victim, slowing their heart rate and breathing, rendering them stiff and seemingly dead.

It was a common method for Kiri shinobi to use puffe-rfish poison on their blades, to render their opponents helpless and unable to escape, if they were unable to administer a fatal blow. Sakura knew the antidote off the top of her head.

_Thistle and bark._

Thanking the heavens, she was able to find the two remedies among the small herbal hoard, and went to work grinding it down into a powder. Working quickly, she cleaned his wounds and extracted the poison with her medical nin jutsu, before administering the antidote. With no clean bandages to work with, she tore the ends of her teal kimono, using them to secure the tincture around his wound.

When he was stabilized, she went to work warming his body with a massage technique she had learned from Shizune, which helped fluctuate blood flow back through the body. Soon he began to shiver, then shake, until there was a steady tremor throughout his entire body.

Sakura let out a shaky exhale as she began to wrap him up tightly in the two quilts she had taken with her.

_You're a shinobi, that much is certain... _She thought, taking in his attire and lean figure. Using a hand to push back his dark forelocks, Sakura made out the insignia on his forehead protector. _A ninja from Konoha, cut down by one of my father's men. _

The Mizukage's daughter swallowed nervously as it dawned on her that she had just taken in an enemy shinobi... and was now currently harboring him. Finding herself more curious than she was afraid, she studied the castaway she had discovered.

_You're... _She took in the sharp and elegant features of his pale face, framed by his thick ebony locks ..._beautiful._ Sakura didn't think she had ever seen anyone in her life quite as beautiful as this enemy ninja she had stumbled upon.

_How did you manage to get yourself here? _She wondered in baffled amazement.

...

_"Be careful." Kakashi told him as he was about to set out on his journey. Sasuke could hear the poorly concealed worry in the Hokage's tone. It was the same tone he had used as a boy whenever Kakashi would go away on long missions. _

"Just make sure you come back..."

_"I'll be fine." the Uchiha assured him, turning to acknowledge his small adopted family. He was never one for goodbyes. _

_"OI!" Naruto told him. "You better be fine and come back home safe or I'll take you out myself! Dattebayo!" _

_"Tch, just look after the village, dobe." he told Naruto. _

_He let Kushina ruffle his hair, repressing a roll of his eyes, he always hated when she did that. "Come back safe to us, Sasuke." _

_"I will." he said, turning his back to them. "I promise..." _

Sasuke blinked his eyes open... he felt hot... too hot... like there was fire burning beneath his skin. Where was he?

Above him was only darkness and stone.

What happened?

He heard the sound of fire cackling ,and the sound of waves rolling outside.

_Did I... die? Am I alive?_

Suddenly, he remembered Zentaro, the battle... _blood, screaming, a blade swinging toward him..._ He became startled when he felt a cool hand brush over his chest and he lunged forward in a panic, his hand reaching for the nearest throat.

A startled cry rang out, as he pinned his attacker to the ground.

"No!" he growled angrily. "Stay away!"

And then he was staring into wide jade-green eyes, the color of the sea, and he was frozen. Beneath him was a girl... a young woman, his hand wrapped her throat. She felt small and soft under him, her skin beneath his hand as soft as silk and her hair the color of the sky before dawn. For a moment, they only stared at each other, as Sasuke's loosened his hold on her. The next moment, however, the Uchiha found his mind spinning as too many sensations came over his entire being at once.

The girl stared up at him in fear and surprise, but did not dare move, nor did she panic.

"Wait, please, it's okay..." she managed to choke out. "I was not trying to hurt you."

Sasuke let out a shaky breath, immediately remorseful. He released the girl and pulled away from her, shuffling back to get away from heat of the fire. She didn't seem to be a threat, but he had to remain on his guard, taking in all that he could in his dazed state of being.

He was sitting in a cavern, a utilized cavern, and it was dark... the only light coming from a small fire place in the corner.

"What happened?" he breathed, glaring at the girl as she moved to sit up. "Where am I?"

"The Land of Water." she replied, causing him to start. "But, no one knows your here, you're safe, I promise."

Sasuke didn't know why, but he believed her words, and found himself relaxing. Feeling restricted, he looked down and saw bandages wrapped securely around his chest, and his brows furrowed. "You... healed me?"

The girl nodded. "Well, I'm trying to... I found you, beside a boat on the beach... do you remember any of that?"

Sasuke shook his head slowly. The last thing he remembered was kneeling beside Kiba, watching him as he died. "No, I don't remember."

"I'm sure it will all come back to you in time." she reassured him. "But, you should try to rest, you still have a fever and the poison had a strong effect on your body."

As if her words were a cue, Sasuke felt the weight of exhaustion come over him. But, he wouldn't allow himself to sleep, not in enemy territory... he had to get away, back home to Konoha. He pulled himself up onto unsteady legs determinedly.

"What are you..."

"I can't stay here." he told her, moving toward the mouth of the cave. The girl rose and stood in his way, blocking the exit.

"You can't leave now, you're still weak and it's the middle of the night." she told him factually, reaching to restrain him.

He sluggishly tried to push her aside. "I'm fine..."

The Uchiha made it three steps, however, before his knees locked and he began to fall backwards toward the cold, hard ground. To his surprise, he was caught by the girl, her thin white arms catching him around his waist, gently pulling him back to the small nest of blankets she had arranged for him.

"Easy." she commanded.

"You're... really strong..." he found himself musing, as she laid him down.

"Sleep," she told him with a tired shake of her head. "I promise I won't let anyone find you... just sleep."

Sasuke stared at her ethereal face as his vision glazed over, she was all he could see before his vision black once more.

* * *

And it was then that her readers discovered that she could not write action scenes...

Oh well...

I can't believe that I live in a world where I killed off Kiba *cries*. Anyway, r&amp;r!


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